Prevalence Of Disease Symptoms Research Articles

Basic education teachers post-COVID-19 pandemic: prevalence of disease symptoms and association with health habits and behaviors

Basic education teachers post-COVID-19 pandemic: prevalence of disease symptoms and association with health habits and behaviors

Assessment of Indoor Air Quality in Small and Medium Food Industries and Effects towards Perceived IAQ Symptoms

Background: Cooking activities generate pollutants that can cause adverse health effects to occupants. This study aims to characterize the indoor air environment in small and medium food enterprises (SMEs), as studies in this area are scarce. Methods: A series of field measurements were conducted to investigate the IAQ at 14 SMEs selected in Pulau Pinang for three different cooking methods (frying, boiling, and baking). Data on environmental perception and health symptoms were obtained from 76 workers by using a validated questionnaire. Boosted regression tree (BRT) analysis and parametric tests were performed to evaluate the impact of the IAQ on the prevalence of disease symptoms. Results: The results showed that CO2, temperature, and relative humidity were higher than the standard limits, while PM2.5 and TVOC were below the standard limits. Using BRT analysis, CO2 was indicated as the highest pollutant to cause complaints by workers (41.55%), followed by CO (21.93%), relative humidity (11.81%), temperature (10.66%), PM2.5 (7.07%), and TVOC (6.99%). This study indicated that workers in SMEs food industries are affected by the indoor air quality at their workplace in which CO2 was the main parameter influencing their health. This study suggests that future research focuses on boiling and frying SMEs with CO2, CO, temperature, and relative humidity to be afforded emphasis.

Identifying local drivers of a vector-pathogen-disease system using Bayesian modeling

‘Bois noir’ is a phytoplasma-mediated grapevine yellows disease that causes great economic damage in European vineyards. Previous studies have examined habitat relationships on a regional scale, which help to better understand the large-scale epidemiology. Local drivers, such as micro-habitat preferences of the vector (Hyalesthes obsoletus, a cixiid planthopper), or local interactions with reservoir host plants, however, are still poorly understood, although this knowledge is crucial for developing site-specific management strategies.Here, we examined the local environment-species relationships of a phytoplasma-mediated grapevine disease on a scale of 15m in a 2.9ha vineyard using: (i) data on elevation and habitat types; (ii) cover of host plants Urtica dioica and Convolvulus arvensis over three seasons, (iii) vector monitoring over four seasons; (iv) genetic tests for phytoplasma presence in the vector; and (v) inspection of 6056 grapevine plants for visual symptoms of the ‘bois noir’ disease. The data were analyzed in a joint causal model that describes the interplay between vector, pathogen, disease and environment, estimated with Bayesian inference.Our results indicate that surrounding natural and semi-natural vegetation (fallow land, forest and managed agricultural land) and high density of the major host plant U. dioica are associated with an increase in vector population densities. Higher vector population densities at low availability of U. dioica were associated with higher phytoplasma infection rates in the vector. The prevalence of disease symptoms in grapevine plants was nonetheless more affected by grapevine cultivar and higher elevation than by the estimated availability of infected vectors.The results of our local analysis support current bois noir management recommendations stating that (1) removal of the host plant U. dioica should be best carried out in either spring or autumn; and (2) grapevine cultivars are unequally susceptible. Moreover, we provide evidence that U. dioica control before the flight period may result in low U. dioica densities and high H. obsoletus population densities, causing an increase in vector infection rates and disease pressure.

Growth and health status of street children in Dhaka, Bangladesh

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of street life on the growth and health status of poor children who live and work full-time on the streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh (street children), independent of the effects of poverty. This was accomplished by comparing 142 street children with 150 poor children who live and work on the streets of Dhaka but who return to their families at night (slum children). Children between 7-14 years old were recruited at locales where street and slum children are typically found. Weight and upper arm circumference did not differ significantly between street and slum children (P > 0.05), but energy reserves, as assessed by skinfolds, were significantly larger in street than in slum children (P < 0.05). There was no wasting in either street or slum children. Although the majority of children in both groups were stunted and underweight, there were no significant differences between groups (P > 0.05). The prevalence of disease symptoms tended to be slightly higher in street children than in slum children, but few of the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). These data do not support the contention that street children are a particularly high-risk group. The greater-than-expected growth and health status of street children, compared to other poor children, may be due to biologically fitter children being more likely to permanently move to the streets and/or to remain on the streets once the move has been made.

Performance of the EuroQol in children with imperforate anus.

To investigate the feasibility and validity of a proxy version of the EuroQol in children treated for imperforate anus. Patients included were between 1 and 51 years of age. Instruments included were the EuroQol, the TACQOL and a disease specific questionnaire, the Langemeijer Stool Questionnaire. Patients older than 15 years filled in all questionnaires themselves, in the age groups 5-10 and 11-15 a parent administered the questionnaires. Feasibility was judged on the number of missing values. In search of validity, EuroQol scores were compared with the prevalence of disease symptoms (convergent validity) and with the TACQOL (construct validity). The number of missings was not related to age. The disease specific questionnaire correlated significantly with the EQvas from 11 years on and with the EQ-5Dindex from 5 years on. The mean correlation between contextual similar domains of the EuroQol and the TACQOL was -0.55. The correlation between different domains was -0.32. The results support the idea that the use of a proxy version of the EuroQol is feasible and valid. The convergent validity of the EQvas was supported from 11 years on. The EQ-5D showed good construct and convergent validity from 5 years on.